Over-wind prevention device for spring motors



J. VASS Nov0 10, 1936.

OVER-WIND PREVENTION DEVICE FOR SPRING MOTORS Filed March 2, 1935 N asEL,

FI E. E.

Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OVER-WIND PREVENTIONDEVICE FOR SPRING MOTORSl Application March 2, 1935, Serial No. 9,116

3 Claims.

' watches whereby the winding stem Will be disconnected from the windingpinion, so soon as the main spring has become wound to the desireddegree. The particularly novel and useful feature of my invention is thecombination of an improved shipping lever, for disconnecting the windingstem, with an entirely novel reciprocating actuating arm for operatingthe shipping lever. 'Ihis novel form of arm is actuated, to yco-act withthe shipping lever, by a direct me chanical connection with the arbor ofthe main spring, and is restored to its normal inoperative position bymeans of its resilient mounting.

While I have illustrated in the drawing filed herewith and havehereinafter fully described one specific embodiment of my invention, itis to be distinctly understood that I doy not consi-der my inventionlimited to said specic embodiment, but refer for its scope to the claimsappended hereto.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a watch, the dialplate removed, showing thewinding mechanism in operative position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the winding mechanism ininoperative position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

As illustrated in the drawing, the watch provided with my improvementhas the ordinary Winding stem I with usual sleeve 2 carrying thehand-setting pinion 3 and clutch member 4 C0- acting with its clutchmember 5 on the winding pinion 6 which is connected by the usual geartrain with the main-spring arbor 'I to which the inner end of themain-spring 8 is iixed, its outer end being attached to the barrel 9 inthe usual way.

Above the barrel 9, the top plate I0 has a suitable aperture II, andadjacent thereto the recess I2 in which is adjustably mounted the blockI3 by bolts I4 tapped intol the plate I0, passing through slots I5 inthe block I3 and having heads I6 received into' recesses I'I in theblock I3. On its outer edge, the block I3 has an inclined shoulder I8with which co-acts the inclined head I9 of a setting bolt 20 tapped inthe plate I0.

Extending from the block I3 and positioned in the aperture II is thespring-arm 2I carrying the annular plate 22 with ribs 23. This plate 22is disposed concentrically with the arbor l' and there projects throughthe plate 22 the threadedpost 24 concentrically mounted on the arbor l.Threaded upon this post 24 there is the circular disc 25 having adiameter slightly greater than the orice 26 in the plate 22, andprovided with a series of holes 2l through one of which loosely passesthe post 28 tapped into the barrel 9.

Extending from the plate 22 there is the rigid arm 23 having theinclined shoulder 30.

Suitably pivoted to the plate I 0 between the sleeve 2 of the windingstem a and this arm 29, 5 there is the shipping lever 3l having its end32 received in the annular groove 33 of the sleeve 2 and its tail 34 sodisposed that its inclined shoulder 35 co-acts with the inclinedshoulder 30 of the arm 29. The lever 3| has the spring 36 to rock thelever 3| to hold the sleeve 2 in such a position as normally tointer-lock Athe clutch members 4 and 5.

From the foregoing description of the details of construction of mydevice, its use and operation Will be obvious. Since the spring 36causes the shipping lever 3.I normally to hold the clutch members 4 and5 in engagement, it will be seen that rotation of the winding stem I,through its sleeve 2, clutch members 4 and 5, winding pinion 6 and itsgear train, will cause rotation of the arbor 1, thus winding up themain-spring 8. This rotation of the arbor I rotates the post 24 on thearbor 1, and since the post 28 passing through the disc 25 preventsrotation of the disc 25, the rotation of the post 24, on which the disc25 is threaded, causes the disc 25 to travel downwardly toward the plate22. The parts are so designed and related that when the arbor I has beenrotated sufficiently to wind the mainspring 8 to the desired degree, thedisc 25 has been brought into contact with the plate 22 and hasdepressed the plate 22, against the influence of the spring-arm 2I, andthe plate 22 has depressed its associated arm 29 so that its inclinedshoulder 30 co-acts with the inclined shoulder 35 of the tail 34 of theshipping lever 3l, so that the lever 3I is rocked, thereby causing thesleeve 2 to move the clutch member 4 out of engagement With the clutchmember 5, thus disconnecting the winding stem I from the winding pinion6, and thereby preventing further winding of the main-spring 8.

It is obvious that as the barrel 9 is rotated, under the influence ofthe main-spring 8 as the watch is running, the post 28 mounted upon thebarrel 9 causes the disc 25 to rotate about the post 24 which is nowheld stationary by the ordinary action of the pawl-controlled geartrain. Thus it is seen that the disc 25, threaded on the post 24, iscaused to travel outwardly away from the plate 22. As soon as pressurefrom the disc is removed from` the plate 22, the spring action of thespring-arm 2| causes the plate 22 to move outwardly and carry with itthe arm 29, causing the release of the shipping lever 3|, which isrestoredto its normal position by action of the spring 36, thusconnecting the clutch members 4 and 5 and rendering the windingmechanism again operative.

It is to be noted that I have designed and related the parts in such aWay that while the Winding mechanism is not disengaged until thecompletion of the desired amount of winding, the mechanism is re-engagedafter a very slight degree of unwinding of the main-spring 8. In thisway, I have insured that the proper degree of tension will be put uponthe main-spring, and no more, and also that the main-spring may bere-Wound, after a very short period of unwinding, and this re-WindingWill restore the main-spring to its proper degree of tension, and nomore.

It is to be noted that by providing a plurality of holes 21 in the disc25, it is possible to adjust the disc 25 relative to the post 24, in theinitial assembly of the parts, so as to secure the proper distance oftravel of the disc 25 to properly operate the arm 29 and lever 3|.

It is also to be noted that by means of the setting bolt 20, the blockI3, plate 22 and arm 29 may be properly adjusted to secure the desiredrelation between the shoulders 30 and 35. When the block I3 has beenproperly adjusted, it is xed in position by the bolts I4.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination, with the main-spring of a spring motor, the windingpinion, clutch and winding stem, of a shipping lever adapted to engageand disengage the clutch; a rigid arm coacting with said lever to causeit to function; a plate from which said rigid arm is extended; a

spring-arm from which said plate is extended; and means actuated by thearbor of the mainspring and adapted to move said plate against the forceof the spring-arm to cause said rigid arm to actuate the shipping lever.

2. The combination, with the main-spring of a spring motor, the Windingpinion, clutch and winding stem, of a shipping lever adapted to engageand disengage the clutch; a rigid arm co-acting with said lever to causeit to function; a plate on which said rigid arm is mounted; a spring-armon which said plate is mounted; a. threaded post on the arbor of themain-spring; a second plate threaded on said post and having an orifice;and a second post on the barrel of the main-spring passing looselythrough said orice, the parts being so related that the second plate iscaused to travel in one direction by rotation of the arbor and in theother direction by rotation of the barrel, and to engage the iirst plateto move it against the force of the spring-arm to cause said rigid armto actuate the shipping lever.

3. In an over-wind prevention device for watches, the combination of awinding stem having a clutch member; a winding pinion having a clutchmember with which the stem clutch member co-acts; a pivoted lever havinga finger at one end to bring the stem clutch member into and out ofengagement with the pinion clutch member, and having a beveled shoulderon its other end; a spring disposed against said lever to cause theclutch members to engage normally; an arbor on which the main-spring ismounted and with which the winding pinion is connected by a gear train;a spring barrel with which the main-spring is connected; a threaded poston said arbor; a plate threaded on said post and having an orifice; apost on said barrel passing loosely through said orifice; a resilientlymounted plate disposed in the path of travel of said first mentionedplate; and an arm on said second plate having a beveled shoulder toco-act with the beveled shoulder on the lever to move said lever againstthe impulse of said lever-spring to cause the clutch members todisengage.

JOSEPH VASS.

